ENY 3005 Families of Hemiptera

Order Hemiptera Pronunciation: he-MIP-ter-ra Common name: true bugs

Identifying characteristics for the order Hemiptera include:

• Front wings generally hemelytrous, i.e., thickened at the base and membranous at the tip.
• Hind wings membranous and shorter than the front wings.
• Antennae with 5 or fewer segments.
• Mouth with a 3- or 4-segmented beak arising from the front of the head.
• Tarsi with 3 or fewer segments.

• Homoptera - front wings of uniform texture rather than hemelytrous; beak arising from rear of head.
• Coleoptera - front wings meet in straight line down the back; antennae with 8 or more segments; mouth parts chewing; tarsi often with 4 or 5 segments.
• Orthoptera, Phasmida, Mantodea - antennae many segmented; moth parts chewing.

Order Hemiptera -- true bugs

• Suborder Cryptocerata -- shorthorned bugs (7 families, we will study 4)
• Family Corixidae -- water boatmen
• Family Notonectidae -- backswimmers
• Family Nepidae -- water scorpions
• Family Belostomatidae -- giant water bugs
 
• Suborder Gymnocerata -- longhorned bugs (34 families, we will study 6)
• Family Gerridae -- water striders
• Family Miridae -- leaf bugs, plant bugs
• Family Phymatidae -- ambush bugs
• Family Reduviidae -- assassin bugs
• Family Tingidae -- Sugarcane lace bug, Avocado lace bug, Lace Bugs on Ornamental Plants
• Family Lygaeidae -- seed bugs, bigeyed bugs, milkweed bugs
• Family Coreidae -- leaf-footed bugs, squash bugs
• Family Pentatomidae -- stink bugs

• J. A. Slater and R. M. Baranowski. 1978. How to Know the True Bugs. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Co. 256 p.
• Pages 112-128 and plate 3 in D. J. Borror and R. E. White. 1970. A Field Guide to the Insects. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
• Pages 133-156 in R. G. Bland and H. E. Jaques. 1978. How to Know the Insects, 3rd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Co. 409 p.
• Pages 284-311 in D. J. Borror, C. A. Triplehorn, and N. F. Johnson. 1989. An Introduction to the Study of Insects, 6th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing. 875 p.
• Pages 412-426 in H. V. Daly, J. T. Doyen, and A. H. Purcell III. 1998. Introduction to Insect Biology and Diversity, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. 680 p.

Links to other web sites

• University of Delaware Insect Database
• Hemiptera -- Gordon's Insect World
• Aquatic and Semiaquatic Hemiptera -- Aquatic Insects of Montana